Cloth or fabric printing machine



March 2-2, 1938. M. N. BULFORD 2,111,613

CLOTH OR FABRIC PRINTING MACHINE I Filed May 20, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR M r a MBu/ford March 22, 1938. I BULFORD 2,111,613

CL OTH OR FABRIC PRINTING MACHINE Filed may 20, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 lllllllll 1E //////////////////////////////////////7)/7/ ////////Wm////fl/////////////// ,j *5

Patented Mar. 22, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I 2,111,613 cLo'rn on rsnmc ram-nus mom Murray N. Bulford, Augusta, Ga., assignor to United Merchants & Manufacturers, Inc., New

one web of fabric in single or multi-colors.

York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application May 20, 1936, Serial No. 80,784

3 Claims.

This invention relates to clothor fabric printnection with the drawings, which form a part ing machines, and particularly to a machine for simultaneously printing a plurality of webs.

, The usual clothprinting machine prints only Such der.

To secure a clear or sharp print of fine patterns or lines, heavy pressure must be exerted against. the Weber sheet. The bearings for the printing rollers are made adjustable so thatthe rollers can be adjusted toward the axis of the cylinder to p'rovide this heavy pressure. However, the pressure is not uniform across the cylinder and to counteract this unequality of pressure the cylinder periphery is built up by winding a web of textile fabric, such as a woolen sheet, around the cylinder forming what is technically known as lapping. During the printing of the web the end of the lapping leaves a mark across the web or sheet printed.

In multiple web pri nting machines of the type shown in Patent 2,033,618 granted March 10,

1936 to Foley, ,et al. the problems above menple webs are printed between printing couples comprising a pair of cylinders or rolls of relatively small diameters.

The end of the lapping on the pressure rollers which press the web against the printing rollers leaves cross marks on the web very much closer together than those made on the large cylinder.

Futhermore, the relatively small diameter pressure rollers are axially warped or distorted out of their true cylindrical shape by their heavy pressure.

cloth or sheet is not uniform.

Due' to these conditions the print on the to proprinting and pressure rollers so constructed and arranged that the print on the cloth or web will be sharp, free, from cross marks and will be uniform across the width of the web or sheet.

Another object of the invention is to provide a multiple web printing machine .so constructed Further objects of the invention will appear from the following specification takentin conthis application, and in which Fig. I' is a diagrammatic elevational view of a multiple web printingmachine constructed in accordance with the invention; 5

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the cylinder, printing rollers and printing couples constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 3' is a fragmentary elevational view showing the driving connections for the mechanism; Fig. 4 is an elevational view of one of the pressure rollers used in theprinting couples and Fig.5 is a sectional elevation of the roller shown in Fig. 4. v I 1 The invention brieflyv described consists of a multiple web printing machine comprising a plurality of printing couples adapted to print a plurality of webs or a plurality of designs or colors on one web, each printing couple comprising a 1 printing roller and a pressure roller. The pressure between the pressure roller and the printing roller can be regulated and the surface of the pressure roller is crowned or made slightly convex from end to end, the roller being thicker in the middle than at the ends. As pressure is exerted against the pressure roller and on the web disposed between the rollers the conformation of the pressure roller provides a uniform pressure throughout the length of the roller, thus producing a sharp well defined and uniform print across the width of the cloth. V v The inyention further includes a blanket formed preferably of elastic material such as rubber and led between the printing and pressure rollers of the printing couples, thus forming a backing between the back grey and the pressure roller. The blanket is formed preferably in a closed loop or endless belt and a blanket of this type is provided between the printing rollers and the cylinder as well as between print- 40 ing and pressure rollers of the printing couples.' The provision of a blanket of this type prevents the lapping marks from showing on the printed sheet .or web and provides additional backing for the cloth or .web being printed. n V

Further details of the invention will appear from the following description.

In the diagrammatic showing in Fig. 1 there are shown two rolls W and W of. the white cloth to be printed and tworolls G and G? of the back-,

which coact with the cylinder E in printing web W.

Three printing couples A, B, and C are illustrated, each of these couples comprising a print ing roller II-and apressure roller l0.

The white cloth or sheet W is led from the supply roll around a tension device and around guide rollers 2|, 22, 23, 20, and to a tension device 20 and thence around the cylinder E and in contact with the printing rollers l0, II, and i2.

The back grey G is led around guide rollers 30, 3|, 32 and tension devices 33 and 84 to thecylinder E, the back grey G being, disposed between the cylinder and the white cloth W. I

An endless blanket D of elastic material is led around the cylinderE between the cylinder and the back greyG, the blanket being guided around rollers 40, ll, 42, 43, and 44, the roller 42 preferthe . ably being adjustable to place the desired tension on the blanket D.

The second web or sheet W is'led through the' tension device and around guide rollers 5|, 52, 53, 54, and to a tension device 56 and thence between the printing and pressure rollers l5 and 5 of the three printing couples A, B and C.

The second back grey G for the second web or sheet W' is led around guide rollers 60, GI, 02, and 63 and through tension devices 64 and 65 to a position in back of the second web or sheet W and between the web and the pressure rollers IS.

A second blanket D is led between the back rey G and the-pressure rollers l6, this blanket being guided around guide rollers 10, ll, 12, 13, and I4 and around the pressure roller l5 of the printing couple 0. Guide rollers 15 are provided between the first and second and between the second and third pressure rollers to keep the blankat D away from the white cloth W and cylinder E. In order to provide an even uniform pressure and to secure a sharp well defined print across the width of the sheet or web, the pressure rollers iii are preferably surfaced with elastic material, such as rubber, and are crowned as illustrated in Figf4. From this figure it will be seen that the diameter X at the center of this roller is greater than the diameter Y at the ends thereof.

Fig. 2 illustrates more in detail the mounting of the printing couples and printing rollers. The

cylinder E is mounted in a printing machine frame having a plurality of brackets 8|, 82, 03, 0'4, and 00 extending radially relative to the. axis of the cylinder E. The brackets 8|,-82, and

Q 83 have mounted therein bearing blocks 81, in

which are mounted printing rollers 80, screws 89 being provided for pressing the printing-rollers toward the axis of the cylinder E and exerting pressure against the web being printed.

In each of the brackets 04, 85, and 86 there is mounted one of the printing couples comprising printing rollers i5 and pressure rollers IS. /The rollers I6 are mounted in blocks 90 and the rollers lb are mounted in bearing blocks 0|, it being understood that the blocks 90 and U are disposed at the ends of the-rollers. Each of the blocks 9| is engaged by a screw 92 by means of which pressure may be exerted against the ends of the printing rollers in order toprovide a,heavy pressure on the web being printed. The blocks 90 disposed at the inner ends of the brackets maintain the pressure rollers in spaced relation relative to the is crowded in,the manner own in Fig. 4. v I

- 99 which is connected by a chain I00 to drive a sprocket wheel I 0| mounted on the shaft I02 of the printing roller I5 disposed in the bracket 06. The shaft I02 also has secured thereto a sprocket wheel I03 which is connected by a chain I04 to drive a sprocketwheel I05 mounted on the shaft |06 of the printing roller disposed in the bracket 05. Shaft 06 also has secured thereto a sprocket wheel |0'| which is connected by a chain I08 to drive a sprocket wheel I09 mounted on the shaft I I0 of the printing roller carried by the bracket 84.

By means of the driving connections just described the rotation of the cylinder E and the operation of the printing couples are synchronized.

It will be understood that the printed webs W and W are'led from the printing mechanism to drying cans and are suitably disposed of after leaving the printing mechanism. This statement also applies to the back greys G and G.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that the provision of crowned pressure rollers will eflect an even pressure throughout the vention has been particularly shown and described, it will be understood that the invention is capable of modification and that changes in the construction and in the arrangement of the various cooperating parts may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, as expressed in the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a web printing machine, a printing roller and a pressure when means for guiding a web to be printed between said rollers, means for guiding a back grey into backing relation to the web to be printed and between said rollers, and means for adjusting one roller relative to the other roller, the pressure roller having a crowned outer surface having a greater diameter at the central portion and tapering to a lesser diameter at the ends of the pressure roller 2. In a web printing machine, a printing roller and a pressure roller, means for guiding a web to be printed between said rollers, means for guid- 4 ing a back grey into backing relation to'the web to be printed and between said rollers, and means for adjusting one roller relative to the other roller, the pressure roller having a crowned outer surface formed of elastic material and having a greater diameter at the central portion and tapering to a lesser diameter at the ends thereof.

\ 3. A pressure roller for a printing couple of a cloth printing machine consisting of a core surfaced with elastic material, the outer surface of the roller being crowned and the elastic material being thicker at the central portion and tapering toward the ends of the roller.

, MURRAY N. 'BULF'ORD. 

